With the warm weather approaching, come the benefits of gardening: a chance to reduce stress, clear your head, and be in the moment. Taking care of plants is also a bit like taking care of yourself. Here you will find useful information and sound advice for organizing your garden.

Support the Space for Life

Would you like to participate in the advancement of natural science and scientific culture? Get people interested in environmental issues? Become a member of the Space for Life Foundation and take part in its activities.

The Labrador Coast at the Biodôme

Language
English

Atlantic puffin

Photo: Biodôme de Montréal

Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, a coastal landscape stretches out south of the Labrador coast. It is in this part of the world that we find birds of the Alcidae family such as puffins, small birds that are as agile in the air as they are in the water. Their ballet is simply dazzling!

A world of birds at the Biodôme

In a landscape that takes us to the rocky shores of Labrador, the steep cliffs of the Biodôme are home to some 60 birds of the Alcidae family, including two species: murres and puffins. Because of their large, colourful bills, puffins deserve their nickname of “sea parrot.”

Group living up in the heights

At the Biodôme as in the natural environment, the auks form colonies in the cliffs. In nature, living in groups has its advantages. It’s easier to find a partner for the purpose of reproducing, to locate feeding areas and to better guard against predators. Since cliffs are hard for land mammals to access, they offer birds a well-protected environment for raising their young.

A northern summer at the Biodôme

In the Labrador Coast ecosystem, visitors are suddenly whisked away to eastern Canada. And to reinforce the feeling of immersion, the Montréal Biodôme has opened the habitat to allow visitors to experience cool temperatures between 12ºC and 15ºC all year round in this ecosystem. A real wall of ice has even been installed on the visitors' side for an even more immersive feeling. The observation of puffins and murres at the Biodôme is probably the most refreshing idea in Montreal during a heatwave!

A few facts and figures

Puffins and murres belong to the Alcidae family.

The length of the day follows the cycle specific to the Labrador coastal region.

The rock formation reproduced in this ecosystem is shale.

Add this

Space for Life brings together the Biodôme, the Insectarium, the Jardin botanique and the Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan on the same site.These four prestigious institutions of the City of Montreal form the largest natural science complex in Canada.